Charlize Theron reportedly requested on-set 'protection' after she 'felt threatened' by co-star Tom Hardy

Charlize Theron is alleged to have requested “protection” whilst filming Mad Max: Fury Road after reportedly feeling “threatened” by her co-star Tom Hardy after an on-set argument. 

Hollywood icon Charlize Theron, who shared a rare video last year, and British star Tom Hardy acted opposite each other as Imperator Furiosa and Max Rockatansky in the hit 2015 film, though a shocking new book has suggested they clashed with their approaches on set. Written by New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan, Blood, Sweat and Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road features comments from cast and crew members who worked on the Oscar-winning movie. 

This is understood to include Charlize herself, as well as camera operator Mark Goellnicht, who opened up about a particular argument that was supposedly a “turning point” for the actor.

In an extract of Kyle’s book published by Vanity Fair, Mark described the difference between Tom and Charlize as “literally the most contrast I’ve ever seen between two actors”. 

Charlize went on to claim that she was “really scared” of her co-star and also stated, “I don’t want to rehash things, but it came out of a really bad moment where things kind of came to blows between me and Tom”. 

“I remember vividly the day,” Mark added, before going on to allege that Tom turned up late one day when he was asked to arrive for 8, marking a “turning point” for Charlize, who’s said to have sat ready in her makeup and costume until 11.

He said, “Tom turns up, and he walks casually across the desert. She jumps out of the War Rig, and she starts swearing her head off at him, saying, “Fine the f****** c*** a hundred thousand dollars for every minute that he’s held up this crew” and “How disrespectful you are!” She was right. Full rant. She screams it out. It’s so loud, it’s so windy—he might’ve heard some of it, but he charged up to her and went, “What did you say to me?”

Mark then alleged, “He was quite aggressive. She really felt threatened, and that was the turning point, because then she said, “I want someone as protection.” She then had a producer that was assigned to be with her all the time.”

Responding to these allegations made about his behavior towards Charlize in Blood, Sweat and Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road, Tom reportedly told author Kyle that the pressure on him and Charlize was “overwhelming at times”. 

According to The Independent, Tom explained, “In hindsight, I was in over my head in many ways. The pressure on both of us was overwhelming at times.”

He’s understood to have added, “What she needed was a better, perhaps more experienced partner in me, I’d like to think that now that I’m older and uglier, I could rise to that occasion.”

Despite the apparent clashes between Charlize and Tom whilst filming Mad Max: Fury Road, however, their on-screen performances captured audiences’ imaginations. The movie also went on to receive huge critical acclaim and won six Oscars.